Dealing With the Insurance Adjuster
Someone is coming to look at your damaged property and decide what you're owed. Most people have never done this before and don't know what the visit involves or what they're allowed to say.
We're Insurance Claims Consultants. This page explains what to expect, what to prepare, and what to be careful about.
Call (864) 497-2151. First conversation is free.
Who Is Actually Coming
There are three kinds of adjuster and it matters which one you're dealing with.
A company adjuster is employed directly by your insurer.
An independent adjuster is a contractor the insurer hires, often after a major storm when their own staff are overwhelmed. They may be handling hundreds of claims and may not be local.
A public adjuster is licensed to represent the policyholder. That's what we are, and it's the only one of the three working for you.
The first two are competent professionals doing a job — the job just isn't representing your interests. That's not a criticism of them; it's how the arrangement works.
Before They Arrive
- Photograph everything first, before any cleanup. Wide shots for context, close shots for detail, and dated if your camera does it.
- Don't throw anything away. Damaged contents are evidence until they've been inspected and valued.
- Write down the sequence while you remember — when it happened, what you saw, what you did.
- Find your policy, or request a certified copy from your agent. You need to know what you bought.
- Gather receipts for emergency work — tarping, board-up, extraction, hotel.
- Make a list of damaged areas including ones that aren't obvious, so nothing gets missed on the walkthrough.
During the Inspection
This visit largely determines what your claim becomes. Be present for it.
Walk them through it. Point out everything, including damage you're not sure counts. It's their job to assess it, not yours to pre-filter.
Take your own photographs as they go, including of anything they examine closely.
Mention what you can't see. If the floor feels soft, if there's a smell, if a door that used to close now doesn't — say so. Hidden damage doesn't get scoped unless someone raises it.
Ask what they're recording. A reasonable adjuster will tell you.
Don't guess at values or causes. "I think it's been leaking a while" can end a claim. If you don't know, say you don't know.
Don't sign anything you haven't read, particularly a release or a proof of loss with figures already entered.
Get their name and contact details, and note the date.
After a House Fire, Specifically
Fire claims have their own pattern, and the smoke is where the money is.
- Raise the smoke, not just the fire. Combustion residues travel through the whole building. Ask specifically about rooms away from the fire, the loft, and inside wall cavities.
- Ask about the HVAC system. Smoke gets into ductwork and redistributes every time it runs. A filter change is not remediation.
- Don't let anyone clean before it's documented. Restoration companies move fast, and soot patterns are evidence of extent.
- Ask about contents you think are fine. Electronics, clothing and stored paper absorb smoke and odour in ways that aren't visible on the day.
- Start recording living expenses immediately. Hotel, meals, laundry, storage, pet boarding.
- Expect a cause and origin investigation on any significant fire. That's routine, not an accusation.
After Water Damage, Specifically
Water claims turn on two things: where the water came from, and how much of it is still in the building.
- Keep the failed component. A section of burst pipe distinguishes sudden failure from slow corrosion, and it's the single most useful piece of evidence. Tell the plumber before they take it away.
- Ask for moisture readings, not just photographs. Water wicks upward and travels through cavities; the visible line is not the extent.
- Be precise about the source. Water from a burst pipe is covered; water that rose from the ground is flood and generally isn't. Vague answers get resolved against you.
- Document the drying. Dated photographs and the restoration contractor's logs protect your mould coverage, which is usually sub-limited.
- Don't say "it's been like that a while" unless it's true and you understand the consequence. Gradual leakage is excluded.
Recorded Statements
You may be asked to give one. It's a normal part of the process and refusing outright can be treated as failure to cooperate.
Things worth knowing before you do:
- Answer what's asked. Don't fill silences with speculation.
- "I don't know" and "I'd have to check" are complete answers.
- Don't estimate dates, values or durations you're unsure of. An approximate answer becomes a fact in the file.
- You can ask for a copy.
- You can ask to reschedule if you're not in a fit state to do it well. Most people aren't, days after a fire.
How We Help
When you hire us, we deal with the adjuster so you don't have to. We attend the inspection, make sure what isn't visible gets raised, and handle the correspondence and the statements.
The inspection sets the scope, and the scope sets the settlement. It's worth having someone there whose job is your side of it.
No hourly billing. No upfront cost.
Our fee is a percentage of what you recover.
We work for you, not for the insurance company.
Anywhere in North Carolina, South Carolina or Georgia, call (864) 497-2151 — ideally before the inspection rather than after.
